Our View: Goal of 'What We Pay' is fuller understanding

We've spent years now discussing public employees' compensation, their benefits, the contributions they make or should make to pensions and health care, the size of staff our tax dollars support at the local, state and federal level.

Behind the changes to public employee collective bargaining that threw the state into turmoil in 2011 was a sense among some that Wisconsin taxpayers simply were not getting their money's worth when it came to paying these employees. And the topic continually arises in conversations about taxes and the size of government.

Well, let's take a look at the data.

Today, Gannett Wisconsin Media launches a five-week investigative special report, examining what public employees earn in every sector of local, state and federal government across the state.

Along with analysis and local perspectives, we are publishing a digital database of all public employees with base salaries of more than $25,000, using the latest available data from 2011-'12. In addition, we are publishing in our print editions all public employee base salaries of more than $50,000. Both online and in print, we are including each employee's name, title, years of service, and compensation including benefits where available, to give our readers a fuller understanding of what drives government payrolls, and even to help readers make comparisons with their own compensation.

Today's report focuses on higher education. We'll have future reports on K-12 education, law enforcement, county and municipal employees and more.

The information we're reporting is public data, all obtained through open records requests available to any citizen. We believe there's a value in pulling it together into a single, accessible database

These are public employees. They work for us, all of us. And any discussion about our taxes and their compensation will be better if it's informed by facts and data, not impressions and rumors.

Consider 'value'

Take a look. Search the database. And take the time to read the analysis and responses in the stories that accompany the data. Some of the numbers might surprise you - individual professors who earn more than the dean, or employees whose extra-duty pay amounted to nearly as much as his or her base salary. And in some cases, there is more to the story than would be gleaned from the data alone.

For instance, today's first installment of this special report explains that many technical college instructors make significant "extra" compensation through "overages" that can amount to tens of thousands of dollars annually, their pay boosted by taking on extra classes beyond contract workload. We also explain that University of Wisconsin professors generally make less than instructors in the technical college system.

Our readers may decide for themselves whether they believe these wage variances are reasonable or desirable.

And ultimately that means looking beyond a simple salary figure and considering that elusive quality: value. What are the services that employee provides to you and to the community? Do we need attractive salary and benefits packages in order to ensure that we bring the best, most qualified people into these positions - and keep them?

As part of our compilation of public information and public records, we are publishing the names and positions of the employees. This information has been publicly available before, but it will now be more accessible than ever.

Some readers may object to this decision. We chose not to restrict any public information because we trust the public to be able to place the information in context and to separate personal views from policy analysis. And we won't cover up or restrict any of that information - including the name of a given employee and the specific work history that comes with it - when it can help to inform the discussion.

Your reactions

We want to hear your perspectives on what you learn from our reporting. It's easy to cherry-pick information and argue that someone makes too much. But what is just the right amount? How would you determine a position's value? What is it you see when you sift through these databases?

In coming weeks, we'll publish new reporting and reader perspectives. Leave a comment online or on our mobile sites; send a letter to the editor to opinion@wdhprint.com.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Our View: Goal of 'What We Pay' is fuller understanding

We've spent years now discussing public employees' compensation, their benefits, the contributions they make or should make to pensions and health care, the size of staff our tax dollars support at

A link to this page will be included in your message.

Join Our Team!

If you are interested in working for an innovative media company, you can learn more by visiting: